Information – From NHSChoices

You’ll experience hay fever symptoms if you have an allergic reaction to pollen.

Pollen is a fine powder released by plants as part of their reproductive cycle. It contains proteins that can cause the nose, eyes, throat and sinuses (small air-filled cavities behind your cheekbones and forehead) to become swollen, irritated and inflamed.

You can have an allergy to:

tree pollen, released during spring

grass pollen, released during the end of spring and beginning of summer

Many people find their symptoms improve as they get older. Around half of people report some improvement in symptoms after several years. Symptoms disappear completely in around 10-20% of people.

Hay fever treatment

There’s currently no cure for hay fever, but most people are able to relieve symptoms with treatment, at least to a certain extent.

The most effective way to control hay fever would be to avoid exposure to pollen. However, it’s very difficult to avoid pollen, particularly during the summer months when you want to spend more time outdoors.

Hay fever can often be controlled using over-the-counter medication from your pharmacist. However, if your symptoms are more troublesome it’s worth speaking to your GP, as you may require prescription medication.

For severe and persistent hay fever, there’s also a type of treatment called immunotherapy. It involves being exposed to small amounts of pollen over time, to build resistance to its allergic effects. However, this can take many months or even years to work.

Complications

Even though hay fever doesn’t pose a serious threat to health, it can have a negative impact on a person’s quality of life. People with very severe hay fever often find that it can disrupt their productivity at school or work.

Pollen count

The pollen count is a measurement of the amount of pollen in the air. The higher the count, the more severe symptoms of hay fever can become (depending on the specific type of pollen you’re allergic to).

The Met Office provides a pollen forecast. If the pollen count is high, you can take preventative measures, such as taking antihistamine medication, before leaving the house.

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